(1) The fiscal court of any county in which there is a county operated hospital may provide for liability and indemnity insurance for the benefit of the hospital against the negligence of the employees of such hospital.
(2) The insurance policies so purchased by the fiscal court shall be purchased only from insurance companies authorized to transact business in this state, and any such policy shall bind the insurer to pay, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy, any final judgment, not in excess of the policy limits, rendered against the insured hospital or hospital employees for the death or injury of any patient, or damage to the property of any patient, resulting from the negligence of the hospital, its agents or employees.
(3) This section shall not be construed as waiving the immunity of the county or county operated hospital from suit only to the extent of the policy limits, and no judgment may be enforced or collected against the county, fiscal court, the members thereof, or such hospital, but shall only measure the liability of the insurance carrier. No attempt shall be made in the trial of any suit to suggest the existence of any insurance which covers in whole or in part any judgment or award which has been rendered in favor of the claimant, but if the verdict rendered by the jury exceeds the limits of applicable insurance, the court shall reduce the amount of said judgment to a sum equal to the applicable limit stated in the policy.